Fall 2023 Supplement and Course Offerings

Instructor: Anindita Basu Sempere

Credits: 4 AHS Fnd

Course Description: This course will provide an introduction to the production, revision, and discussion of creative writing. We will spend the first half of the semester working on poetry and the second half on short fiction.

Weekly assignments will include both writing exercises and readings, as reading is one of the best ways to improve writing. We will approach assigned readings as writers and examine how a text works: What choices does the author make? What techniques are used? When are these techniques effective, and how can they be incorporated into one’s own writing? Our writing prompts will be open-ended, and you are encouraged to experiment with voice and style.

The class will follow a workshop format, meaning we will discuss student writing every week and practice giving and receiving constructive feedback. The final project will be a portfolio, and as a class, we will decide whether to hold a class reading, make a class literary magazine, or do both.

Instructor: Leah Horgan

Credits: 4 AHS Fnd

Course Description: The design and control of nature was a central theme in the development of modern science and technology. Today however, we are confronted daily with nature seemingly out of control–from heatwaves and wildfires to flooding and droughts. How did we get here? What is the human role in these events, and how is industrialization, government, and the advancement of design, science, and technology related to our transforming environmental conditions? This interdisciplinary course draws on social theory, environmental history, anthropology and sociology, tactical art and design, and science and technology studies to investigate the pressing questions of present day environmental issues. Throughout the course, we will examine how these environmental issues intersect with broader themes of social justice and explore how scientists and engineers are adapting their fields to confront these challenges head-on. Through visual art and group-based design exercises, this course will introduce you to critical making practices, enabling you to recognize, invent, and describe new approaches to environmental technologies and social relations. By the end of this course, you will gain a deeper understanding of key themes in science and technology studies and develop the ability to critically analyze contemporary social issues related to environmental health, justice, and economic development. This course aims to empower you to think creatively and make meaningful contributions to environmental and social change.

Instructor(s): Victoria Dean, Paul Ruvolo, Caitrin Lynch

Credits: 4AHS

Course Description: This course contextualizes AI within cultural conversations, ethics, and power relationships in U.S. society. The recent rise of large language models has brought to the fore ethical questions surrounding machine learning. Drawing upon academic texts as well as news articles and other forms of media, this course will explore AI as it relates to topics such as surveillance, labor, bias, trust, regulation, and more. The focus will be on these topics in U.S. society, with relevant examples drawn from other societies. The semester will culminate in an ethics module design project to be done in collaboration with Olin instructors for use in future courses.

Instructor(s): Gordana Herning, Claire Rodgers

Credits: 4ENGR

Meeting Time: Thursday, 5-8:00pm (note: this time may change – be sure to look at my.olin.edu when you register) 

Course Description:  The course explores design solutions for improving environmental performance of buildings and infrastructure in the context of climate resilience and adaptation.  Concepts related to regional energy grid operation, renewable energy generation, and efficient use of water, energy, and materials will serve to develop design strategies to help Olin College implement its Climate Action Plan.  The course will include the opportunity to learn more about greening Olin’s infrastructure and an examination of the newly developing parking lot solar canopy.  Analytical and computational methods will be introduced and used to analyze the structural, envelope, and building systems in support of a design process that is sensitive to the climate.  The project-based inquiry and interactions with guest speakers will look at strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the lens of technological developments and social equity in the built environment.

Instructor(s): Amon Millner, Paul Ruvolo

Credits: 4 ENGR

Course Description: 

The mental health care system embeds practices that contribute to deep inequities in outcomes for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) populations. Students in this course will explore possibilities for increasing equity in wellness realms by collaborating with a Dorchester-based organization called Inspired Relief.  Inspired Relief challenges inequity through a number of practices, including their operational structure, centering and following the lead of people with disabilit(ies), including holistic approaches to mental health that involve the whole being, and opting for development of a community vetting process rather than traditional pay-for-placement databases that purportedly connect providers with potential patients. 

The team at Inspired Relief has identified the need to create a mobile phone app to serve as a platform upon which their approach to mental health equity can be built.  Using a combination of literature review and community-engaged research, students in this course will flesh out the design of the proposed mobile app (e.g., finalizing requirements, creating wireframes and UI mockups).  Alongside this design process, students will learn and apply mobile app development skills to create a prototype of the app. This technical work will include a mix of working with frontend and backend technologies. 

The course will have a small student enrollment, and students will be expected to develop and practice self-directed learning and project-management skills.  Students will have access to several Olin faculty members who are experts in concepts such as community-engaged work, mobile app development, and human-centered design.  Students in the course may choose to focus on either the design or the technical work (or some desired combination) depending on their particular learning goals. Note: If you want to work on the app development parts of the project, you should have Software Design or equivalent experience. 

Instructor(s): Emily Tow

Credits: 4 ENGR   Hours: 3-0-9

Co-requisite: QEA3

Course Description: This course covers the fundamental principles of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid flow as applied to engineering systems. It provides a foundation in fundamental thermodynamic phenomena, including the first and second laws of thermodynamics for closed systems, thermodynamic properties, and equations of state in ideal gases and incompressible fluids. Topics in heat transfer include conduction, convection, and resistance networks, with an emphasis on thermal modeling. Topics in fluid flow include pipe flow networks, inviscid flows, and basic aerodynamics. Students will predict the behavior of engineered systems, design kites that fly, and develop curiosity about thermal-fluid phenomena in everyday life.

Updated: Introduction to Thermal-Fluid Systems in combination with Thermal-Fluid Systems Analysis will satisfy both the Thermodynamics and Transport Phenomena core ME requirements.

Course Flyer

Instructor(s): Helen Donis-Keller

Credits: 4   Hours: 4-0-8

Course Description: This course is all about the communication of ideas and developing an independent creative voice in the visual arts using digital photography as the medium of choice. Fine art photography and documentary photography are the twin focus areas with individual expression fostered and doing good in the world using photography will be prioritized. Digital Photography: Seeing is Believing, will be a hands-on course taught in studio mode and will be project-based with weekly homework assignments that also includes several major projects allowing longer-term project engagement. Digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, digital editing tools and printing capabilities are provided and gaining technical facility with these tools is an important goal. We will consider the many interpretations of fine art photography from traditional landscape work to conceptual art. A second equally important focus is how photography can be used to do good in the world, in particular, to call attention to climate change and what to do about it. The work of contemporary fine art photographers and documentary photographers will be studied in depth and trips to museum and gallery exhibits will be scheduled as appropriate as will field trips with the class to capture images in interesting locations. Students with no prior experience with photography are strongly encouraged to enroll in this course and are as welcome as those who have already discovered a passion for creative expression using photography.

Instructor(s): Caitrin Lynch and Ela Ben-Ur

Credits: 2+2   Hours: 6-0-6

Concurrent requisite(s): Students must simultaneously enroll in AHSE2141 and ENGR2141 for a total of 4 credit hours.

Course Description: Engineering for Humanity (E4H) centers on deeply codesigning (in teams) with one individual, from knowing them as a person through creating a finished, working product that makes an ongoing difference in their lives. The focus is on understanding an individual within the wider social context of aging in the United States today. We welcome students from any year. Wherever you are, we’ll offer space and support to deepen your codesign practice and develop your own methods. Past projects have included creating a device to help someone who has difficulty cleaning a bathtub, making a safe yet stylish backpack for carrying an oxygen canister, and creating an experience to enable someone to share stories with friends. In addition to design and teamwork at Olin and at partners’ homes, class will include guest speakers, field trips, and discussion of topics relevant to aging. Students must simultaneously enroll in AHSE2141 and ENGR2141 for a total of 4 credit hours.

Take a look at the E4H website for a 5-minute introductory video about the class https://courses.olin.edu/e4h/videos?video=Short%20Overview%20of%20Engineering%20For%20Humanity . Ela and Caitrin will be available to discuss the class on Thursday April 13, 12-1, upstairs in the dining hall.

Instructor(s): Ben Linder

Credits: 4   Hours: 2-4-6

Registration Note:

• This course takes place at Mass Art

Recommended Requisite: Experience with computer-aided design and digital fabrication and appreciation for and knowledge of aesthetics are desirable. Experience with sketching, model making, welding, torch cutting, plasma cutting, angle grinding, metal casting, and glass blowing is also helpful.

Course Description:  This intermediate design elective explores fabrication through a collaboration with the Fine Arts 3D and Industrial Design departments at MassArt. Students from all three disciplines will work together using the MassArt metal foundry and hot glass shop in combination with CAD modeling and 3D printing as tools for experimentation and production exploring their creative potential. Emphasis is on the development of new processes that combine iterative form development with digital fabrication technologies and studio production techniques. Students will meet at MassArt on Wednesdays from 3:00-8:00 PM. Transportation costs will be covered by the course, and students do not need access to a car to participate, although it helps. Can be used in E:Design concentrations (not Design Depth).

Instructor(s): Graeff, Erhardt; Hersey, Scott; Johansen, Elizabeth; Linder, Ben; Majluf, Francesca; Taha, Kofi

 

Course Description:  This course engages students in community-based, participatory design and action. Teams partner with communities and organizations to achieve positive social and environmental impact with a strong justice framing, working for change in areas like air quality, community development, food processing, global health, and rights and privacy (addressing mass incarceration) over several semesters. Guided by an experienced faculty advisor, teams make change through design for impact, social entrepreneurship, community organizing, participatory research, political advocacy and other practices. All teams practice social benefit analysis, theory of change, assumption testing, cross-cultural engagement tools, dissemination of innovation methods, and ethical norms. Students regularly engage stakeholders in inclusive processes, in person and virtually, to observe, strategize, plan, co-design, prototype, test, and implement approaches supported by a significant project budget and student fundraising. There are often opportunities to travel locally, nationally, or internationally to work with partners. Students are exposed to mindsets and dispositions for working with integrity and responsibility in their stakeholders’ contexts through guided exercises, case studies, guest speakers, readings, and reflections. Students learn and apply changemaking practices through project work, and gain essential experience building relationships across difference and developing their own self- and cultural awareness. This course is part of the BOW collaboration, offered jointly between Olin and Babson, and open to Wellesley students. Olin students can elect ADE to fulfill the Engineering Capstone requirement by registering for ENGR 4290 for two consecutive semesters beginning in the second semester of their junior year or the first semester of their senior year. Alternatively, students can take this course for one semester to fulfill the Design Depth requirement by registering for ENGR 3290. Students that take ENGR 3290 in their second semester junior year can opt to switch to ENGR 4290 for capstone credit.

Instructor(s): Staff

Credits: 4   Hours: 3-0-9

Course Description:  This design elective is a project-augmented seminar—heavy on reading in history and criticism about the work of buildings and city streets in shaping public life, with modest design proposals as experiments in practice. Perfect for folks thinking about the intersection of design and engineering, as well as students interested in architecture, urban planning, and public space. How do buildings reflect the inherited values of a culture, and how might they shape and re-shape human behavior in the future? How does the city become a civic theater for shared life? You’ll leave class with some strong literacy in understanding the operations of the built world at architectural scale, and with an introductory credit suitable for several design concentrations.

Instructor(s): Sarah Bloomer

Credits: 4   Hours: 4-0-8

Pre-requisite(s): ENGR2250: Collaborative Design

Course Description:  There are two types of UX research: Generative and Evaluative. Evaluation is fundamental to designing successful products. Evaluation of a product or prototype answers the question: can people use the thing (app, site, product, console, appliance, device, service etc). Today’s product design teams capture both qualitative and quantitative data, which are used together to inform ongoing product design and product strategy. Evaluating existing products answers questions such as:

• How easy is the product to learn and use? How might I improve the experience?

• Where are the problem areas in the product design?

• Do they work for all target users?

• Is the user able to meet their objectives with the product?

Mixed Methods features short projects to experience multiple types of evaluation techniques such as heuristic evaluation and usability testing, in-person and remote testing, moderated and unmoderated. We will evaluate different types of existing products - you won't create anything new. We'll engage in a longer project which incorporates both qualitative and quantitative data. Guest speakers will share their expertise in analytics and a range of evaluation on both software and non-software products. We may even visit a testing lab.

Instructor(s): Steve Matsumoto

Credits: 2   Hours: 2-0-4

Pre-requisite(s): ENGR 2510: Software Design

Course Description:  Real-world software development is rarely focused on building an entirely new product, but rather on contributing to an existing, longer-term software project. In this course, students will learn about practices that support the design and implementation of features on a longer-term software project, including requirements elicitation, specification, code testing and review, documentation, teamwork, and software maintenance. Students are expected to be working on an external, longer-term software project, such as research software, a capstone project, an open-source project, or a project in an extracurricular group. Students will be asked to actively contribute to these projects on a weekly basis, and demonstrate the software development principles taught in the course. Students will also be asked to write weekly reflections on the concepts taught in the course and the way they are applying these to their projects.

Instructor(s): Steve Matsumoto

Credits: 2   Hours: 2-0-4

Pre-requisite(s): ENGR 2510: Software Design

Course Description:  In this course, students will learn and practice a variety of tools that are widely used and recommended in computing, particularly in software development. These tools include command-line scripting, performance analysis tools, version control tools (e.g., Git), continuous integration frameworks, configuration managers, virtualization/containerization tools, and cloud infrastructure. Classes will spend time on both the high-level concepts that motivated the use of these tools, as well as the hands-on use of the tools themselves. After taking this course, students should be comfortable using the tools in personal and professional settings. Students should also be able to identify scenarios in which these tools are useful, as well as the design tradeoffs that may exist in using these tools.

Instructor(s): Carrie Nugent

Credits: 4 ENGR or 4 SCI   Hours: 4-0-8

Registration Notes:

• For SCI credit, register for SCI3199
• For ENGR credit, register for ENGR3599B

Pre-requisite(s): ENGR2510: Software Design or instructor permission

Course Description: Scientists use complex models to learn how the universe works. How do ants self-organize? How do the molecules in a glass behave differently than the molecules in a solid? How do astronomers find asteroids? In this upper-level class, we will read scientific papers and write our own versions of these models from the ground up. Take this course if you love to know the details of how things work. Can be taken for ENGR or SCI credit. 

Instructor(s): John Geddes

Credits: 4   Hours: 4-0-8

Registration Notes:

• REMOTE delivery

Pre-requisite(s): QEA 1, 2 & 3

Course Description:  Climate models play a pivotal role in helping us understand the effects of the unplanned and uncontrolled experiments that have been taking place since the industrial age began. In this course we will dive into the mathematical models of the climate and the mathematical analysis techniques that allow us to make sense of the climate and ask questions about its future behavior. Models will include the Earth's energy budget, the oceans, the atmosphere, the cryosphere, and the biosphere. Techniques used will include topics from statistics, linear algebra, dynamical systems, signal processing, and partial differential equations. Active lectures, directed reading, homework, and mini-projects will constitute the majority of the activities.

Instructor(s): Jean Huang

Credits: 4 SCI or 4 AHS   Hours: 4-2-6

Registration Notes:

• For SCI credit, register for SCI1299 - 8 seats reserved for BIO
• For AHS credit, register for AHSE2199A - 4 seats reserved for AHS elective

Course Description:  This course investigates the ethics of biological science, technology, and innovation. Topics include: the costs and benefits of scientific progress, recombinant DNA and DNA sequencing, the ethics of clinical trials, trust relationships between scientists and their communities, and the intersections between science and non-human animals/the environment. We will treat these topics through both biological and philosophical lenses, develop an understanding of core principles of biology in context, and use the concepts of agency, trust, and progress to shape our discussions. Our guiding questions include: What is the relationship between a scientific innovation being technically feasible and morally permissible—in other words, even if we can do/create/study something, should we? What if anything do scientists owe the public? Is a person’s tissue still theirs even if it has been removed from their body? How much modification of our genetic code is morally permissible? Is the suffering and death of non-human animals an acceptable cost of doing scientific research? What are the moral responsibilities of the scientists and engineers who develop and build new technologies?